Waterville boy, 2, reunited with mother after found playing alone on side of road

WATERVILLE, Maine — A 2-year-old boy was found playing alone on the side of the road Tuesday morning.

Waterville police Sgt. Dan Ames said a FairPoint Communications worker and a local businessman called police at 8:30 a.m. to report the child on Appleton Street.

Ames said Officer Galen Estes and Sgt. Alan Main attempted to find the residence where the child came from.

“They brought the child back to the police station for safe keeping and to keep the child warm while they continued searching for the residence,” said Ames.

Police made photocopies of a picture of the child and went door to door.

“They randomly knocked on doors and they did identify the mother on the second floor of an Appleton [Street] apartment building,” Ames said. “She identified the picture. She quickly came down to the station and was reunited with her child.”

The mother said the child had never left the house on his own before.

“She didn’t know the child was gone [when police knocked on her door],” said Ames. “She was caring for another infant and hadn’t gotten to check on the other child yet.”

It was one hour and 46 minutes from the time police received the call to the time the mother was identified, said Ames.